 AIPA Secretary General Nguyen Tuong Van. (Photo: Huu Chien/VNA correspondent in Indonesia) |
In an inclusive interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) ahead of the 42nd AIPA General Assembly, to be held virtually from August 23-28 by Brunei, the Chair of ASEAN in 2021, Van stressed Vietnam’s initiative to organise a thematic conference of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO) in 1999, which promoted the role of legislative agencies in the face of the regional economic and financial crisis.
Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue will attend AIPA-42, the first official multilateral external activity of Chairman Hue and the high-level delegation of the 15th National Assembly.
Secretary General Van reviewed the 2001-2002 tenure when Vietnam performed the AIPO Chairmanship for the first time, as well as the country’s hosting the 23rd General Assembly of the AIPO and AIPA-32 in Hanoi, with 22 out of 33 approved resolutions initiated by the country, among other contributions since Vietnam joined AIPO/AIPA 26 years ago.
Vietnam has also made efforts to promote relations between AIPO/AIPA and ASEAN, Van continued.
She took AIPO-23 as an example, where Vietnam – AIPO Chair – invited the ASEAN Secretary General to attend the meeting to step up cooperation between the sides.
Notably, representatives from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) have attended the AIPA General Assembly as suggested by Vietnam, Van said, describing this as a significant step to help AIPO/AIPA integrate into the world.
She also commended Vietnam’s significant contributions to reforming and improving operational quality of the AIPA Secretariat and promoting solidarity and unity within AIPA, as well as cooperation and connectivity within ASEAN at large.
The Vietnamese National Assembly always observes ASEAN’s principles of ensuring friendship, respecting independence and sovereignty, and not interfering into internal affairs of each other, while upholding the grouping’s principle of consensus.
In 2020, the Vietnamese legislature successfully organised AIPA-41 via videoconference for the first time given the COVID-19 pandemic.
The success of the unprecedented meeting has left a good impression on international friends, and served as a source of encouragement for other AIPA member countries and the Secretariat to organise and participate in online AIPA events, Van said.
According to the AIPA Secretary General, Brunei has leaned from Vietnam’s experience to organise AIPA-42 and related meetings.
The Vietnamese NA has worked as a pioneer that has creatively and flexibly adapted to the new situation, she said.